The Shadow Knows (Act 1)
by MissOperaGhost
Summary: "Who knows … what evil … lllllurks … in the heart of men? … The Shadow knows! His "friend and companion, the lovely Heather Cranston his sister, is the only person who knows to whom the voice of the invisible Shadow belongs". Together they confront the maddest assortment of lunatics, sadists, ghosts and werewolves ever heard on the air.(Full Summary Inside!)
1. Chapter 1&2

"Who knows … what evil … lllllurks … in the heart of men? … The Shadow knows! His "friend and companion, the lovely Heather Cranston his sister, is the only person who knows to whom the voice of the invisible Shadow belongs". Together they confront the maddest assortment of lunatics, sadists, ghosts and werewolves ever heard on the air. Meanwhile Heather is having no luck of finding a suitor unlike her brother Lamont has a girlfriend helps him on solving a case and meets the Phantom of the Opera himself by going back in time. Will the Shadow meet the Phantom of the opera himself? Will Erik and Heather love each other to mend their broken hearts? And Will Erik team up with the Shadow if they become partners? (Act 1 Completed!)

Chapter 1

_**Prologue**_

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"

The shadow was amateur criminologist Lamont Cranston. He had learned "the hypnotic power to cloud men's minds so that they cannot see him". The opening to the show, "Who knows … what evil … lllllurks … in the heart of men? … The Shadow knows! His "friend and companion, the lovely Heather Cranston his sister, is the only person who knows to whom the voice of the invisible Shadow belongs". Together they confront the maddest assortment of lunatics, sadists, ghosts and werewolves ever heard on the air.

_**Chapter 1: The Mirror Of Death**_

Recap: The Shadow a man of mystery who strikes terror into the very souls of evil-doers everywhere. Lamont Cranston, a man of wealth, a student of science, and master of other people's minds, devotes his life to righting wrongs, solving crimes, protecting the innocent, and punishing the guilty. Using advanced methods that may ultimately become available to all law enforcement agencies, Cranston is known to the underworld as The Shadow; never seen, only heard - as haunting to superstitious minds as a ghost; as inevitable as a guilty conscience.

Street sounds. Footsteps clicking on a sidewalk. Newlyweds John and Nancy Craig are out shopping. Nancy spies an antique shop and they enter. It's an atmospheric shop, dark as a tomb, with pieces on display that look like big, crouching animals. An elderly woman emerges from the depths, ready and willing to tell tales about all the pieces in which they show an interest.

A mirror catches Nancy's eye. ''There's a story about that mirror,'' the shopkeeper comments….''What story?'' Nancy asks eagerly. ''That mirror was made in the days when witches were being burned, and people believed in visions. visions.'' John laughs. ''Old wives tales.'' The shopkeeper is undaunted. ''Probably , sir, though many men believed in them. We know better now perhaps, but it was said in those days that a mirror made as this one was, in a rather strange and horrible fashion…showed much more than ordinary mirrors.''

''What did it show?'' Nancy asks, timorously. ''The faces…of people about to die….of course not everyone could see those faces in the mirror…only….only those who had the gift.'' ''Well, how could they tell if they had the gift?'' ''Oh, there were many signs. Perhaps the most certain sign…'' John attempts to override her, but she continues ''was the ears of Pan. Ears with pointed lobes…'' John interrupts her again, briskly. ''Nancy, do you want the mirror?'' ''Yes, John, I do.'' John hands over the money and arranges for the mirror to be delivered to their house that afternoon. As they are exiting the shop, the ribbons on Nancy's hat get caught in her ear ring. John frees it for her. '''Here we've been married more than a month, terribly long time, and I've never noticed your ears before…'' ''What about them?'' ''Well, the lobes. They're…pointed.''

Thunder rumbles briefly, and Nancy speaks dreamily of her mirror as the clock chimes eleven. John goes downstairs to lock up. Within a few seconds, the lights in the room go out. Nancy hums, speaking to herself. ''It's funny, staring into a mirror when it's dark and you can't see anything. I wonder, am I really there in the mirror, even if I can't see myself….'' Then she gasps. ''No…oh no….'' She screams.

A young woman named Heather Cranston was visiting her brother Lamont Cranston. "Lamont?" Asked Heather. " yes sis?" question Lamont. " Wouldn't it be cool if I was like Christine Daae and could sing for the phantom of the opera? And you would be the perfect friend for him!" She said as she closed the book. " oh you and your silly imagination!" Laughed Lamont Cranston As they were getting ready to go do som sleuthing as a reporter and the Shadow... Heather started to sing **"You Raise Me Up":**

_When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary; when troubles come and my heart burdened be; Then, I am still and wait here in the silence, Until you come and sit awhile with me. You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; You raise me up... To more than I can be. _

_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; You raise me up... To more than I can be. There is no life - no life without its hunger; Each restless heart beats so imperfectly; But when you come and I am filled with wonder, Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity. _

_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; you raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; You raise me up... To more than I can be. You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; You raise me up... To more than I can be. You raise me up... To more than I can be._

Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: The Cranston's**_

_**Author's note:**__ Yes I love Lamont Cranston! This story is based off of the Old Time Radio Episode of The Shadow: Reflection of Death (May 9, 1948)_

Nancy has come to the home of Lamont Cranston for help, Heather Cranston and Margot Lane Lamont's girlfriend is there as well. She urges Nancy to tell her story. Nancy explains about the mirror, and then tells what had happened the night before. ''I saw my father's face in it. I could see his face in the mirror…not mine at all…and it was horrible..all crumpled and distorted…he looked as if he were dead!'' She chokes up and tries to get hold of herself. Lamont tries to soothe her, but to no avail. ''I _was't_ tired, I _wasn't_ overwrought. I was very happy. Please, Mr. Cranston, will you come with me and look at the mirror.'' Spurred on by Margot, Lamont agrees to visit her later that day.

Footsteps going up the steps to a house. ''What a lovely house the Craigs have, Lamont.'' ''Yes, lovely and old.'' They ring the bell and the butler, Clemons answers. By his sour voice one knows he's old, tall, thin and dessicated, probably with white hair and thin, pinched lips. He escorts the couple into the drawing room where Nancy awaits, somewhat sheepishly. She admits that she has calmed down and is feeling rather foolish. Lamont and Margot speak comforting to her when Clemons re-enters bearing a telegram on a salver. Nancy takes the telegram, reads it, and faints. Lamont picks it up. ''Sent from upstate New York. Says, 'Regret to inform you your father died this morning at Interlachen Hospital. Signed, Head Nurse.' Her _father_, Margot.''


	2. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: Time Travel**_

A door opens and Heather Cranston enters a room where Lamont is waiting. She tells him that Nany is sleeping – the doctor gave her a sedative. Her husband is sitting beside her like a frightened child...it's sweet. The door opens again for Clemons – Lamont instructs him to take the new mirror up to the attic. Clemons acquiesces with bad grace. Margot doesn't like him. ''Just a sullen old man.'' Lamont and Heather leave the house while Margot returns to work, confident that nothing can happen that night. They leave.

Nancy Craig moans in her sleep. A low, whispering voice (not the Shadow's!) calls her name. She wakens, but can see nothing. The voice exhorts her to get up, and in her drugged state she obeys. The voice exhorts her up to the attic, and protestingly she obeys…upstairs, into the attic. Nancy can't see anything – then ''There, there it is.'' She looks into the mirror…''I see a face….the face of Clemons…green…it's so green…I see his neck. There's a rope around his neck, and it's drawn _tight_. _Tight!_ And... he's dead!

Lamont has picked up Heather and they pull up in front of the Craig house in a screech of brakes. Clemons answers the door to them, more surly than ever if that's possible. To their surprise, he leaves them in the hallway. John Craig rushes up to them, his words rolling over themselves in his agitation. He'd been sitting downstairs, he couldn't sleep. When he went upstairs he looked in her room to see if she was all right, and she wasn't there! ''Have you checked the attic?'' asks Lamont ''No, we never go there….But why the attic?'' Because that's where the mirror is.'' Lamont says grimly.

They find Nancy Craig collapsed in front of the mirror, laughing quietly to herself. As they carry her to her room, she murmurs both laughing and crying, ''Poor old Clemons….funny old man…funny…green Clemons, green, green, green…and the room was red…and the furniture was so brown, brown, brown…poor old Clemons…he looked so funny in the mirror…''

Lamont Cranston pays a visit to Clemons, as the Shadow. Poor Clemons lies in bed, moaning. The Shadow's voice comes out of the darkness, demanding to know if he's been pulling tricks on Nancy Craig. ''No..someone's been playing…been playing…tricks…on me…'' Clemons dies.

''It makes a certain amount of sense,'' Lamont Cranston says a few minutes later, to the distraught John Craig. ''She saw Clemons in the mirror, that meant Clemons had to die. Perhaps she took care of…'' ''You don't believe that,'' John protests. ''Have you any better explanation?'' ''No-oh, but Nancy isn't well, she hasn't been well. She can't be held responsible for anything she's done….'' Margot enters the room at this moment, and she and Lamont take their leave.

''Home, Lamont?'' ''No. Upstate.'' ''Upstate?'' ''The town where Nancy's father lived…and died. I want to find out how far that mirror can see.''

So that night The Shadow and Heather Cranston look in the mirror as they examine it they fall in into Christine Daae's dressing room in the Paris Opera House.


	3. Chapter 4 and 5

_**Chapter 4: Warning Erik!**_

Crash as The Shadow & Heather Cranston landed on Christine's dressing room floor. "Are you all right?" asked the Shadow "yes!" replied Heather "where are we" puzzled the Shadow as he turned toward Heather his companion whose eyes sparkled because she knew where they were at. Then they eyes turned into alarm whe n they heard the Phantom himself singing in the catacombs beneath them! PHANTOM: Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair,  
>Down we plunge to the prison of my mind!Down that path into darkness deep as hell! Why, you ask, Was I bound and chained In this cold and dismal place?<br>Not for any mortal sin But the wickedness of my abhorrent face!"

"Shadow we gotta go help him!" Exclaimed Heather for she know what was going on through the Phantom's mind... "Why?" Asked the Shadow. "Well duh mobs are looking to kill him! For starters and Second, all Erik wants is to be loved!" Replied Heather as she opened up the secret passage through the mirror. They both rushed as fast as they could to warn Erik! As they were running down the staircase to the lair in the catacombs. They here the Uproaring cries of the the citizens that were looking for The Phantom to!  
>MOB:"Track down this murderer, He must be found,Hunt down this murderer<br>He must be found!" When They reached The Phantom's Lair The Shadow Clouded Rose To Make Them Invisibal to Erik, Roul, Christine and The Mob.  
>PHANTOM: "Hounded out by everyone! Met with hatred everywhere!<br>No kind words from anyone! No compassion anywhere, Christine, Christine,  
>Why, why...?"<p>

_**Chapter 5: The Shadow Knows!**_

Christine and Erik:"Why, why . . . where'd that laugh come from?"

Sounds like it come from right behind Rose who is with the Shadow. Erik:"No, it came from back in that corner." The Shadow:"Wait. Don't be frightened. I am the Shadow. I've come here to help you. If you will accept my unseen presence without question; without fear." "So, has my friend and companion Heather who adores you Mister Phantom!"

Christine:(Mumblings as the beggars' excitement starts to build)Erik: "Yeah, Yeah that's right. We got no reason to be scared of the Shadow. We ain't done anything wrong." Christine gaged a horror look to Erik and Punched him in the arm trying got break free...

"Uh I highly doubt that see... Heather has told me all about You and your love triangle effort Christine and Roul the vicomte De Chaney!" Remarked the Shadow. " Who is this Heather ?" Puzzled Erik..."How Does She Know Me!"


	4. Chapter 6,7,&8!

_**Chapter 6: Raoul Enters**_

**Raoul Vicomte de Chagny Enters**

Raoul: [Desperate] Free her! Do what you like only free her! Have you no pity?  
>The Phantom: [to Christine, mocking and humourous] Your lover makes a passionate plea.<br>Raoul: I love her! Does that mean nothing? I love her! Show some compassion...  
>The Phantom: [Suddenly enraged] The world showed no compassion to me!<p>

The Shadow mutters "Oh bother! Just when I was going to introduce you to Heather Cranston Mister Phantom Christine's boyfriend shows up in the middle of out conversation!" Then Erik replies nodding with agreement trying to ignore Roul for a few minutes. "Please show me the girl!" "I will if you promise not to go nuts over her cause She has an older brother and he means the world to her after our parents have past!

"I want her to be a surprise for you Mister Phantom please turn around." "Alright." Said Erik "But please call me Erik." "Alright Erik then..." Heather steps out in the middle of the lake. "Okay Erik turn around!" Replied the Shadow. As Erik turned he saw a woman in a beautiful dress but she was not like Christine Daaee she had blonde hair braided in a mid evil princess fashion. And her skin was pale and had chocolate brown eyes and a small ruby red mout from makeup he guessed she put on this morning.

"Hello Erik...my name is Heather Cranston...it is a honor to finally meet you! Your face is beautiful than I thought it would be when we came to the opera house by accident this morning." Meanwhile Raoul Vicomte de Chagny grows impatent! "Christine! Get away from him I know the legend as well as you. He sold his soul to the devil so the world would love him for his talent. The devil had a price. He mutilated his face so terribly, that no one could stand to love him ever again." "Raoul Iam coming!" Shouted Christine. While Erik stood motionless and began to cry clause no loved him. Until he felt two hands on his shoulders one of a females other a mans. He turned around with tears asking "what do you want?" Heather look at Erik with sadness and tenderness.

"Erik may I kiss you?" asked Heather

_**Chapter 7: Pitiful Creature Of Darkness…**_

_"Pitiful creature of darkness. What kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you- you are not alone!" Sang Heather Cranston as she leaned forward and kissed Erik. " Erik I love you!" She said as she kept kissing him harder to show how much she loves him and to her brother Lamont Cranston aka the Shadow standing by and watching them._

Erik broked down to tears as this strange girl who knew nothing about him showed him love that he had longed for so many years.

_MOBtrack down thismurderer, he must be found!Hunt out this animal, who runs to ground!" Erik said to Roul with tears in his eyes"take her, Forget me,Forget all of me alone,Forget all you've now don't let them find you,Take the to me, Never to secret you know of the angel in now! Go now, and leave me!_

_**Chapter 8: A New Girlfriend**_

Erik walked slowly to his room as his beloved Christine goes with Roul... "Masquerade ... Paper faces on parade ...  
>Masquerade ... Hide your face, so the world will never find you ..." "Erik we have to move now!" shouted Heather with panicking voice. "But I have no where to go or any one to turn to for help..." Replied Erik "you can live with us!" Said Heather clapping her hands with joy and smiled. "Yes Erik you must" added the Shadow. Erik nervously turned around to look at his new friend and possibly lover when they escape from the mob to her and the Shadows house. "Heather Cranston, I love you ..." He said as he kissed her pationatly on the lips which made her surprised. "Come on you crazy love birds lets try to get back home with out getting caught by the mob!" Laughed The Shadow.<p> 


	5. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9: Nancy's House Again_**

Erik Destler said "I am coming ..." As he grabbed his music box with a monkey on it in Persian robes. While Heather took his other hand. The Shadow grabbed his sisters right hand. They were running up the catacombs and opened the mirror passage way to Christine's bedroom when all of a sudden the mirror of Nancy's glowed and all three of the crashed landed in Nancy's attic again. Heather smiles at Erik and says " Come on Ill drive you hot my house! And welcome to the 21st century Erik!" "But what about the Shadow and your Brother?" Asked Erik

"The Shadow told me to go on home he has some matters with the chief of police he must attend too." She replied with a laugh what's so funny?" Erik wondered "oh the chief of police makes it a competition of solving crimes against the Shadow but he can never win against him!" Said Heather with a mischievous grin on her face which made Erik laugh.

As they climbed into Heather's Fiat 1500 (1935) and drove to the Cranston Manor, meanwhile, The chief of police in the town is not very helpful, except that he points out that Nancy's father was a very rich man. ''He came up here on a hunting trip, and died from falling off Eagle's Nest Cliff. What he was doing there nobody knows. He might have fallen off, he might have been pushed. That's all I know.'' Lamont thanks him. As always, he has the last word. ''I think I know now whether he fell or was pushed.''

''Just rest quietly, Nancy. I'll be back in a minute.'' Says the loving voice of her husband. He leaves, closing the door behind him. ''Now then, Nancy's all settled…'' There's a gloating tone to his voice which isn't lost on the invisible figure of the Shadow. ''CRAIG. JOHN CRAIG.'' ''What. Who's that?'' ''COME WITH ME, CRAIG.'' ''Whoo?'' ''THE SHADOW OF GUILT, MURDERER'S FEAR.'' The Shadow chuckles maniacally.

Craig protests, but follows the voice up to the attic. Craig looks at the mirror in the moonlight. ''WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR?'' ''My face!'' shrieks Craig. ''My own face in the mirror!'' Craig admits to murdering Nancy's father and Clemons, ''but I won't hang! I'll destroy the evidence! I'll smash this wretched mirror into a thousand pieces!'' And he does so. But the Shadow laughs. ''TOO LATE, CRAIG.'' ''_Too late!_ ''YES. THE MIRROR HAS ALREADY SHOWN YOU YOUR OWN REFLECTION…OF DEATH.''

Lamont explains how he solved the crime to Erik and Heather. Craig had killed Nancy's father and wanted to drive her insane so that he could have her inheritance all to himself. At the last Heather says, ''Yet he finally did see his own reflection, didn't he?'' ''Yes, and at that moment the murders came to an end. The end that comes to all murderers, before they die.''

''THE WEED OF CRIME BEARS BITTER FRUIT. CRIME DOES NOT PAY. THE SHADOW KNOWS. Heh heh heh.''


	6. Chapter 10: End Of Act 1

Chapter 10: End Of Act 1

As Heather Cranston arrived at her house she led Erik to a tour but when they had reached her room it had a splendid view of The courtyard behind there house. Then Heather asked Erik Destler what he thought about her and her room and his room which was next door to hers while Lamont's was across the hall. Erik finally pondered her question: To hear his own name spoken so fervently across her lips created a shudder down his spine. She wanted him; had he ever heard anything so intoxicating, so deliriously provocative? Wanting to punish her became wanting to please her, to make her as much a slave to the passion as he was becoming, and holding her hazy stare one last instant, he slowly slid to his knees before her, ignoring every opposition his injured body attempted to pose in his need.

Erik loved for Christine slowly faded and said "Heather Cranston , you... you are the angel. You are my voice. Together we'll have London at our feet. Heather, come to me, and I will give you everything."

End 0f Act 1


End file.
